Business Administration, Management and Operations at Tacoma Community College

The small sample size here demands caution, but these numbers tell a worrying story. Tacoma CC's business administration graduates earn just $20,066 a year after graduation—barely above minimum wage for full-time work. That's $15,000 below Washington's median for this program and ranks in the bottom 10 percent statewide. For context, Columbia Basin College's graduates from the same program earn more than double at $42,127.

The debt burden of $16,084 might seem modest in absolute terms, but it represents 80% of first-year earnings—meaning graduates would need nearly their entire annual salary just to pay off their loans. Washington typically produces stronger outcomes for associate business programs, with the state median at $35,022, so this isn't simply a case of a weak program category.

With fewer than 30 graduates tracked, these figures could shift dramatically with more data. However, right now the numbers suggest either significant employment challenges in the Tacoma market for associate-level business graduates or a program that isn't connecting students to viable career paths. If your child is interested in business administration, the data strongly suggests looking at other Washington community colleges with proven track records—or reconsidering whether this particular credential leads to jobs that justify even two years of opportunity cost.